1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates in general to ski equipment and, more particularly, to a device for widening the opening of a ski strap.
2. Summary of the Prior Art
As is well known, ski poles are fitted with ski straps which hang downward in a looped configuration. The wrist strap on ski poles are commonly fabricated from flexible materials which tend to narrow the opening as the strap hangs downward from the pole. A skier ordinarily will insert his hands in and out of a ski strap on numerous occasions during the course of a ski session. The flattened opening of the ski strap can interfere with the convenient and safe insertion and withdrawal of the bulky gloved hand of the skier during the course of skiing. The difficulty involved in using known straps can diminish the enjoyment of the sport and is a particularly a problem for inexperienced and young skiers. Accordingly, it is desirable in skiing to provide a device by which the permanent size and width of the opening of the ski strap is optimized during skiing.
It is therefore an objective of the invention to provide a ski strap device for maintaining the loop of a ski strap in a more opened configuration for allowing a skier to easily insert and withdraw his gloved hand in and out of the strap. The invention herein employs a ski strap device which is capable of being permanently affixed in a convenient manner to any conventional ski strap. The material forming the device of the invention is bendable, but is more rigid than known ski straps formed from leather, nylon, and the like. The rigidity of the device herein disclosed insures that the strap is maintained in an opened configuration for the convenience of the skier when inserting or withdrawing his hands. The ski strap device of the application includes retention means which facilitates rapid attachment of the device to the ski strap with permanence and without interfering with the function of the ski strap itself during skiing. The device is inexpensive to manufacture and demonstrates an extended lifetime of use after being attached.